ASSOCIATE SPOTLIGHT: AN INTERVIEW WITH KORIN

March 12, 2026

In our Associate Spotlight series, we are highlighting associates across the company who are shaping our community and who embody our Life at Centric philosophy every day.

Meet Korin Norton, Associate Account Executive, Kids, at Centric Brands. Korin’s journey from pandemic graduate to New York City sales professional is a testament to what’s possible within our organization. Starting in operations and strategically transitioning into sales, she has built a career that blends technical expertise, creative vision, and customer partnership.

From Pandemic Graduate to New York City Sales Professional
Korin’s journey to Centric Brands began during one of the most challenging periods for college graduates: the 2020 pandemic. Fresh out of college with dreams of working in fashion, she faced an industry at a standstill. But when the apparel world began to reopen, Korin saw her opportunity and seized it with determination.

“I applied to as many roles as possible at Centric; I think at one point I had six open applications! I knew Centric was a large company with diverse career paths, and I was confident I could build the fashion career I’d always envisioned here.”

Her persistence paid off when she landed a role as Customer Service Coordinator, Kids, in our Greensboro office. While allocation might not have been her ultimate goal, it proved to be an invaluable foundation for everything that followed.

Building a Foundation Through Operations
During her year in Greensboro, Korin immersed herself in learning the operational side of the business. She gained deep knowledge of SAP systems, studied the nuances of different retail partners, and absorbed insights from teammates across the department. The collaborative environment allowed her to develop a comprehensive understanding of the full product cycle, knowledge that would become one of her greatest assets.

This operational expertise gave Korin something many salespeople don’t have: a complete view of how products move from concept to customer. She credits her Greensboro colleagues with creating a supportive atmosphere where learning from one another was encouraged and celebrated.

A Strategic Move to Sales
After a year in allocation, Korin identified an opportunity that aligned more closely with her passion: a sales role that would allow her to work directly with products and build collections for customers nationwide. The position also happened to be in New York City, a dream location she’d always imagined for herself.

In March 2023, Korin made the move, joining the boys’ sportswear team as a Sales Assistant. The transition from operations to sales might have been daunting for some, but Korin’s allocation background proved to be a competitive advantage. She quickly advanced to Associate Account Executive, where she now manages her own account bases and creates product assortments for customers across the country.

Technical Skills Meet Creative Vision
One unexpected area of growth for Korin has been her technical proficiency. While she arrived at Centric with solid Excel skills, she’s since expanded her capabilities across multiple platforms, becoming so proficient that her team has dubbed her “our team’s IT.”

Korin has become a go-to resource for her team on NuOrder, PLM, and various other systems. Her ability to quickly onboard to new programs and then train colleagues has increased efficiency across the division.

The Reward of Seeing Products Come to Life
What energizes Korin most about her current work is collaborating with customers to develop product assortments and then witnessing those creations in the real world. Being involved in the product lifecycle from initial concept through to retail shelves brings her daily satisfaction. There’s a special thrill when she spots one of her team’s tees or hoodies “out in the wild.”

Life Beyond the Office
Outside of Centric, Korin stays active at the gym and spin studio, maintaining the physical discipline she developed through years of dancing. But her truest passion is theater. Growing up as a dancer and lifelong theater enthusiast, living in New York has allowed her to experience Broadway at its finest. She’s working her way through an ambitious Broadway bucket list, with Ragtime next on her schedule.